BREAK ME ON THE SADDLE, RANCHER DADDY 3

Chapter 3: 

Settling In and Sparks Ignite

The days started blurring together in the best kind of way. By the third morning, my muscles ached from yesterday’s ride, but I refused to complain. After breakfast eggs, bacon, and strong black coffee that Colt made like it was his personal mission to wake me up i followed him out to the barn to help with chores.

“Grab that bucket, little filly,” Colt said, his gravel voice warm as he tossed me a pair of worn work gloves. “Hay first, then grain. These horses don’t feed themselves, and neither do the hands.”

I caught the gloves, smiling at the new nickname. “Little filly? You’re really committing to that, huh?”

He grinned, flashing strong white teeth against his tanned face. “Fits you. All legs and big eyes, still learning how to stand steady. But you’re catching on quick.” His broad shoulders flexed as he lifted a heavy bale like it was nothing, the muscles in his arms straining the fabric of his shirt.

We worked side by side in the barn, the air thick with the sweet smell of hay and warm horseflesh. I scooped grain into feeders while Daisy nudged my shoulder affectionately. Colt moved with that quiet authority, checking hooves and murmuring to the animals in low tones that made my stomach flutter.

“You’re quiet today,” he observed after a while, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “Something on your mind, Ellie?”

I paused, leaning against a stall door. “Just… thinking about what happens after summer. My parents say they’ll get back on their feet, but what if they don’t? I feel like I’m in limbo. No real home, no plan. Online classes feel pointless when everything’s falling apart.”

Colt set down his tools and came closer, his big frame casting a shadow over me. He smelled like leather, hay, and something deeper man and hard work. “That fear’s normal, darlin’. I felt it when I lost my wife. Ranch was all I had left, and some days it felt too damn big for one man. 

But you face it head on. Day by day. This place has a way of showing you what you’re made of.”

I looked up at him, heart picking up speed. At fifty-one, he carried his loneliness like an old scar visible in the faint lines around his eyes, but it only made him more solid. “You never thought about selling and moving somewhere easier? Or… finding someone new?”

He let out a low chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “Tried dating once or twice. Women around here want a man who’s home at five, not out chasing strays at midnight. 

And truth is, after her, it never felt right. This ranch is my life. Gets lonely, sure. But I built it strong. Same as I’ll help build you strong while you’re here.”

His words wrapped around me like a warm blanket. 

“Thanks, Colt. I mean it. You didn’t have to take me in, but I’m glad you did. Even if I’m sore every morning from riding.”

“Speaking of,” he said, stepping even closer, one hand resting lightly on the stall beside my head, “you’re doing better than most. Hips are loosening up nice. Keep that up and you’ll be galloping with the best of them.” His blue eyes held mine a second too long, and I felt heat creep up my neck.

Before I could respond, a woman’s voice called from the barn entrance. “Hey, Colt! Brought those new supplements you ordered.”

A pretty ranch hand in her thirties tall, sun kissed, with a confident sway in her hips walked in carrying a box. Her name was Lena, I’d learned yesterday. She smiled wide at Colt, ignoring me at first.

“Thanks, Lena,” Colt said, straightening up but staying near me. “Just set ’em by the tack room.”

Lena’s eyes flicked over to me, then back to him with a flirty tilt of her head. “You look good out here working hard as always. Maybe we could grab a beer after the evening feed? Talk about that new fence line… or whatever else comes up.”

I felt a sharp, unexpected twist in my chest. Jealousy? Over my godfather? That was ridiculous. But watching her lean toward him, touching his arm lightly, made my fingers tighten on the feed scoop.

Colt gave her a polite nod, his voice steady. “Appreciate the offer, but I’ve got my hands full showing Ellie the ropes. She’s my priority right now. Another time maybe.”

Lena shrugged, but her smile faltered a bit as she glanced at me again. “Sure thing, boss. Nice to see you settling in, Ellie.” She left with a wave, hips swinging.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “She seems… friendly.”

Colt raised an eyebrow, that slow smirk returning. “Lena’s a good worker. Flirts with anything that breathes, though. Jealous, little filly?”

My face burned. “What? No. I just… don’t want to get in the way of your life here.”

He stepped closer again, voice dropping low. “You’re not in the way. You’re part of it now. My ward. My responsibility. And I take care of what’s mine.”

The words sent a shiver through me. We finished the chores with lighter talk him explaining how to read a horse’s mood by its ears, me asking about his wilder rodeo stories. But that spark stayed, humming under every word.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I stood at my window, the moon painting silver across the pastures. Down by the corral, Colt worked under a lantern, mending a bridle with those big, capable hands. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a glimpse of chest hair and old scars. He moved with such quiet strength, pausing to pat Thunder’s nose when the stallion approached.

My thighs pressed together unconsciously. The memory of his hands on my waist during the lesson, his gravel voice calling me “little filly,” played on repeat. This was dangerous. He was my guardian fifty-one, experienced, and completely off limits. Yet the ranch felt more like home every hour I spent near him.

A soft knock at my door made me jump.

“Ellie? You still up?”

I opened it to find Colt holding two glasses of sweet tea, ice clinking. He looked tired but handsome, lantern light from outside still clinging to his skin.

“Yeah, couldn’t sleep,” I admitted, taking the glass. Our fingers brushed. “Thanks. You’re still working this late?”

“Ranch doesn’t clock out,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. “But I saw your light on. Figured we could talk a minute.” He took a sip, eyes on me. “Nights out here can stir up wild feelings. The quiet gets inside you. Makes you think about things you probably shouldn’t. You feel that yet?”

I nodded slowly, heart racing. “A little. Everything feels… more intense. The riding, the work, even talking to you. Like I’m waking up.”

His gaze darkened, voice rougher. “Good. Means you’re adapting. But you come to me if it gets too much, darlin’. I’m right down the hall. No matter the hour.” He reached out, tucking a stray hair behind my ear with surprising gentleness. “Sleep now. Tomorrow’s another long day.”

“Goodnight, Colt,” I whispered.

“Night, little filly.” He smiled softly before turning away, boots quiet on the wooden floor.

I closed the door and leaned against it, tea forgotten. The ache between my legs was undeniable now. Whatever was building between us, it felt inevitable like a slow gallop toward something I couldn’t stop.

And deep down, I wasn’t sure I wanted to.